A Bitter Aftertaste
by trickstarcrow
Summary: Vector's bitterness is far stronger than that of coffee. [ Bekuryo, Coffee shop AU for the Zexal AU Meme ]


If there's one thing Vector hates, it's coffee. The bitter, black, searing liquid in his mouth is by far one of the most unpleasant tastes he's ever experienced. He ponders who would ever drink this nauseating drink, and then he stumbles upon what's known as a "cafe."

Then he recalls that he's heard that word before—- Ah yes! It was Durbe, the one who's never seen without a cup of coffee! So he claims it refreshens his day: Vector merely calls it "liquid garbage."

One day, he peeks into the nearby cafe, for curiosity's sake, he implores! It's nothing fancy, just a bunch of people sitting in posh chairs, reading their uninteresting books and drinking- what else?- Coffee. Vector feels repulsed, not having a single intention of stepping inside the shop.

There was a blur of purple that stopped him from walking away. Purple hair, tied up in a high ponytail, but the little blue bit on the front was quite appealing to, if not incredibly fitting for a huge dork. Or a loser. Vector weighed both of those impressions quite carefully, yet never chose one.

However, it was his carefully hidden expression that got Vector intrigued. What was he feeling in that moment? Not that he didn't seem emotionless, but rather he could hide his feelings quite well.

Vector was very much interested, indeed.

"Kamishiro Ryoga."

Vector shifted a little, changing his seating position. Nervous tic. "Who?"

Durbe pushed his glasses up, setting down his coffee. "That purple-haired man in the coffee shop… His name is Kamishiro Ryoga."

The orange haired man scowls. Typical of the bespectacled man to jump in like this—- How rude! "Yeah… What about him?"

Durbe says nothing, merely taking another sip of coffee. Of course there's a slight, amused smile there, but it's hidden by the security of the cup's large frame. Vector huffs at this.

"Whatever, I'm out of here."

He storms out, but Durbe isn't left alone for long. Soon after Vector's departure, Mizael walks in, sitting down in a nearby chair. He carefully looks his comrade over, before speaking. "Vector was here then?"

He nods silently, folding his hands on his lap and leaning back comfortably. It's a pleasant afternoon spent with Mizael, and yet his mind is still plagued with the thoughts of his missing comrade.

'Say Nasch, do you want some coffee?'

—

"Do you want some more coffee, sir?"

Vector would normally cringe at that question, the server was the target he came here for in the first place. That purple-haired man, known as "Kamishiro Ryoga." Today's expression was a small scowl, which he wore so skillfully. Most likely due to his rather unplanned late shift. Vector thought the of it as "cute."

"No," He smirks slightly, eyebrows raised in a rather suggestive manner. "But I'd like to see more of you."

That earns him an even bigger scowl, but the red tinge on his face was worth it.

—-

"So I heard you're not from around here." He throws one leg over the other, in the attempt to show off just a bit. Not impressive to the other, who Vector affectionately named "Coffeeshark."

Ryoga sighs, placing the freshly brewed cup of coffee in front of the boisterous man. These visits had become daily occurrences, and while he wasn't thrilled by the constant chatter from Vector, he supposed it was better than not having anyone to talk to. "I'm from Japan." It's nothing more than a mumble, but it's satisfying to hear him speak.

"Oh?" He sips the coffee—- it's vile and bitter beyond belief, but he manages to finish the sip without cringing. "That's quite the distance, is it not?" Not that Vector knew better; The human world was still quite the mystery to his sinister mind.

There's a moment of silence, before Ryoga speaks again. "Yes…" He smiles, and it's not filled with happiness. It's a bittersweet smile, only a hint of longing on his lips. "This is quite far from home, isn't it?"

Vector can't find the words to form a proper response. It's a quiet afternoon as he sips the bitter beverage. He can't seem to bring himself to care that he may have partially burned his tongue.

The visits continue on, but alas, all good things must come to an end….

"He's gone?!"

The female coworker nodded, looking a bit downcast. "He said he needed to go back home immediately… Mentioned something about a person he needed to see…"

Vector growled, but pushed further. "Did he give a name?!"

She taps her chin, mouthing a few words before completely gathering her thoughts. "It was a foreign sounding name… I do believe he said 'Nasch.' Does that sound familiar to you?"

He slammed his fists onto the table, the tupperware scattering about. "That can't be—-!" He hissed, and Vector stormed out of the cafe.

He had to return to the Barian World—- it was too soon but he had to see if it was true—-! Was THAT guy still alive?!

The bitter aftertaste of the coffee had grown tenfold as he ran back to headquarters. He swore to never even taste the acrid beverage again.

Whether the bitter aftertaste was from the coffee or from Vector's anger was beyond a mystery.


End file.
